Lubricant transfer for multicompartment crank cases



2 May 21, 1929. Q ELLEY 1,713,693

LUBRICANT TRANSFER FOR MULTICOMPARTMENT CRANK CASES Filed Sept. 24, 1923 FIG. 3

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INVENTOR I 4 HSYFR 0 7, E). l JQWSZW ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1929.

cairn sarss ATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED C. ELLEY, OF BELOIT, WIESCONSIN, ASSIGNOB 'lO FAIRBANKS, MORSE dz; (30., OF CHICAGO, ELLIIIOIS, A CORP'ORATIGN OF ILLINOIS.

LUBRICANT TRANSFER FOR MULTICOMPARTIVIENT CRANK CASES.

Application filed September 24, 1923.

My invention relates to improvements in lubricant transfers for multi-eompartment crank cases, and more particularly to a means for transferring lubricating oil from compartment to compartment in the crank case of engines operating with crank case oompression. v The object of my invention is to provide means of simple and inexpensive construction for the movement of lubricating oil from compartment to compartment in a multi-cylinder engine.

Heretofore the oil has been. conveyed from the compartments in the crank case of multieylinder engines to the lubricating system by means of external. drains. This means pre sents the objections of being easily obstructed and of being subject to damage. My system obviates these difficulties since it is internal to the crank case and not easily obstructed, as will be shown. Other advantages will be evident from the description.

My improvements consist in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully and clearly and concisely described and illustrated by the accompany inpdrawings, in which Fig. 1 shows in longitudinal, sectional elevation an engine crank case having a plurality of compartments equipped with an oil transfer embodying my improvements.

ll 2 shows an en arged detail sectional elevation, a fragment of a crank case comprising one of the dividing walls and a transfer for oil, and Fig. 3 shows an alternate form of oi l transfer.

In Fig. 1, lis a crank case, divided into compartmen'ts A, B, C and D, by means of the walls 5. Adjacent the bottom of the crank case each wall 5, is preferably provided with a passageway 6, to place the compartments in communication. The passageways 6, are so disposed as to place their inlets 7, in planes beneath their outlets 8, this in order to control the direction of oil. flow so as to obtain, for example, a successive transfer from A to B, B to C, and from C to D.

A. pump, 15, here shown as a plunger pump, but which may be of any suitable type, is preferably connected to the outlet 8 of the end compartment D for the purpose of re nun in; the oil therefrom. The inlet 7 to this outlet is preferably positioned below the plane of the outlet of passageway 6, leading Serial No. 684,453.

into compartment D, for the purpose of maintaining the oil level below said outlet.

The operation of this system of oil transfer-is automatic in action. Due to piston positions, engine revolutions per minute and other factors, the pressures in. the various compartments fluctuate, hence if there is oil in compartment A covering the inlet '7, of the passageway between compartments A and B, it will be blown through the passageway when the pressure in compartment A is in excess of the pressure in compartment B. Similarly oil will be moved from compartment B to C when the pressure in B is in excess of the pressure in C.

By the expedient of the residence of the outlet 8 of the passageway in a plane above the normal oil level. the oil is prevented from movement from outlet 8 to inlet 7, as, for example, oil in compartment B would be prevented from movement to A when the pres sure in B becomes greater than in A.

In the normal operation of engines of the recited type there would be a reversal of air n'iovements through the passageways at least once during each revolution of the engine,

hence the stoppage of the passageways by lodginent of foreign matters in the oil is ically impossible, to the end that such action is self-cleaning and stoppage re-. duced to a mininuuu.

In er glues having relatively high pressures in the crank cases the transfer of oil from compartment to coimiartinent may be accom panied w h spraying at the outlets 8, which is not desirable and which may be prevented by so arr; ing the shape of the cutl its that the oil 'wfll be d irccted against th walls of the compartment. An illustrative arrangement is? shown comprising a battle. lhe particular battle here shown consists of a nut 9 at the outlet end the orifice, having one or more lateral openings therein. This is best shown in Fig. 2.

F 3 the passageway comprises a tube 10 secured in a dividing wall as by a collar 11 and screw cap 12, and which comprises all the operative characteristics as recited with the form shown in 1 and 2.

it do not limit myself in the use of my iniproven'vent to two cycle engines and it is read ily seen th my system of oil transfer may be used in any multicylinder engine in which a periodically varying pressure exists in the different compartments of the crank case.

- therein and means forming a valveless conduit forthe unidirectional transfer. of oil through said, wall by crank Case pressure.

2'. A crank case, a vertical dividing Wall therein, means for the transfer of oil through saidwall, aninlet to said means for the transfer of oil, an outlet to said means for transferring oil, said outlet being in a plane above said inlet, the relative locations of the inlet and outlet determining the direction of oil flow.

3. A crankcase, a vertical dividing wall therein, conducting means for the transfer of oil through said wall by crank case pressure, said means having an outlet substantially above the inlet thereof, and a baflie, formed by said conducting means and associated with said outlet.

4:. In a crank case, a compartment wall, a one-way, open oil passage extending therethrough comprising a. baffle, adapted to direct the oil toward the compartment wall.

5. In a. crank case havinga dividing wall forming a plurality of laterally disposed compartments therein, a conduit through said wall having its outlet located in a plane above its inlet, a passageway through said crank case into one of said compartments having its opening into said compartment located in a tion of movement of; oil through the conduit.

7. In a crank case having a plurality of laterally disposed compartments therein, an inlet and an outlet to each of said compartments, connectingmeans between the outlet of one compartment and the inlet to the succeeding compartment,said outlet being located in a plane below said inlet, and a pump adapted to be connected to the outlet of the last of said compartments.

8. In. an engine, crank case pressure compartments, adapted to contain oil, and con duits for continuous communication therebetween; each. of, said conduits being so dis? posed that return of Oll therethrough is prevented, and so disposed that the conduit is periodically cleaned'by an air current of'o-pposite direction to thatof the oil.

9.- In an engine, crank case pressure compartinents andoil-transfer conduits for continuous communication therebetween, one of said conduits providing a non-return means for the oil and a self-cleaning means constituted by locating the outlet of the conduit substantially higher than the inlet thereof.

- ALFRED G. ELLEY. 

